Pop Quiz: Name the NFL running back who scores a touchdown then, instead of doing an all-about me-thing, points to his lineman to demonstrate his thanks.

Answer: I couldn’t come up with anyone, either.

Naturally, the first thing removed in the wake of Richard Sherman’s Sunday night vandalism — his game-stealing, grotesquely immodest incivility — was common sense.

After all, no matter how street-slick and Stanford-polished Sherman is supposed to be, before and after the game he chose to trash, mock and ridicule fellow-pro Michael Crabtree as a “mediocre” receiver.

Though such a characterization was inaccurate and classless, it provided Sherman the attention for which he weekly plans. But why would he boast about his ability to defend a “mediocre” receiver? Sherman’s pre- and postgame boast wasn’t merely his classless standard, it was stupid.

Then there were the pandering, superficial examinations that found Sherman to have been raised in gang, poverty and drug-saturated Compton, Calif.

At Stanford, he became an accomplished player while sustaining his standing as a legit student. Although we know his football ability is a matter of self-evidence, the latter can be a matter of systemic fraud.

In other words, we should excuse Sherman on either or both grounds: He came from a rotten neighborhood but he was a good student. Either or both mitigates, provides him a free pass for his successful attempt Sunday to make himself the story of a game otherwise won by his team.

But I don’t see either as having any relevance to explain, let alone excuse, his weekly plan to behave like a creep. That “he doesn’t know better” seems far less credible than “he knows far better than most how to draw and sustain attention.”

Still, we’re in the throes of a world in which we’re told to ignore what we see and instead believe what we’re told. Thus, those who are smarter than that aren’t given credit for being smarter than that.

Sherman doesn’t want to be excused. He wants attention — the most given to anyone on his team. To that repulsive end, he’s a winner. Here I sit, writing about him.

And by Wednesday, he was starring in one of those hideous “bleep-the-world” commercials for those headphones — the world’s first that come with a rotten attitude.

Why was he chosen? Why was he immediately rewarded with this endorsement? Because, at least for the latest short-term, Sherman fulfilled the down-we-go, get-’em-young marketing strategy: Good is worthless, bad is good, worse is even better.

Perhaps, had commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday fined Sherman for placing the NFL in public disrepute, that advertisement would not have proceeded.

But Goodell’s efforts seem limited to endeavors such as selling PSLs — expensive smoke in expensive buckets — as “good investments.” Goodell would rather get into your wallets than Sherman’s.

Still, in a world gone nuts, we can take consolation in recognizing the cons and the backward-pointed, wrong-headed devices designed to sell sports while destroying sports. Not that we can do much about it.

Many of us are at least as smart as Richard Sherman, and a lot more practical and less gullible than those who would indulge, excuse and even claim to enjoy him.

Heck, by Monday night I had received a pile of emails from readers who suggested Sherman’s behavior Sunday night was an audition for a gig at ESPN. We’re not all that stupid, Richard.

Joe giving FOX viewers a Buck’s worth of useless stats

Here’s hoping FOX’s Joe Buck spends his two weeks before the Super Bowl trying, at last, to come to grips with the fact that football is not baseball.

Sunday, with the 49ers going for it, fourth-and-goal from 2 feet, Buck, just before the snap, found it essential that he tell us, “49ers overall, 8-for-13 on fourth down this season.” Thanks, Joe, very helpful.

But Joe, this was fourth-and-2-feet. In Game 2 of their season — against Seattle, no less — the Niners failed to convert on a fourth-and-51-feet (17 yards).

OK, so maybe some thoughtless stat-head loaded such nonsense into the database. But after all these years of watching, calling, interpreting football, does he really think all fourth downs are the same? So much so as to provide such wildly irrelevant info at that moment?

The game began with a fumble by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, recovered by the Niners at the Seattle 15. Several plays later, San Francisco kicked a field goal.

Buck: “Those are the first opening-drive points allowed by the Seahawks this season.” Good grief, Joe!

Additionally, Buck’s party boat has begun to list to genuine, gridiron gibberish. When Wilson scrambled — for his life — out of bounds, Buck explained Wilson “extended the play,” blitzes were “dialed up,” and what he once described as “a short gain” became “positive yardage.”

Row back to us, Joe.

The notion ESPN would know the most about sports proves nonsensical daily. Same with the NFL Network and football. Now MLB …

In an MLB.com audio/video tribute to recently deceased Jerry Coleman, the narrator tells us Coleman, as a Yankee, was with “eight division championship teams.”

What?!? There weren’t even divisions when Coleman played. He played on eight pennant winners. How can MLB not know that?

Not long ago, ESPN reported Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ’Round the World,” was a “walk-off to end the 1951 NLCS.” Seriously.

ESPN set to bump Brent

Inside and just outside ESPN, word is out that Brent Musburger no longer will be the network’s No. 1 college football play-by-player, that he will be offered — or has been offered — a down-the-line role, if he chooses to stay. He will be 75 in May.

So the NHL will hold an outdoor game in warm, sunny L.A. at roughly the same time the NFL plays its championship game outdoors in cold, wintery Jersey. Well, all righty, then!

True or false? FOX’s Super Bowl pregame will include a feature on all the NFL-approved and NFL-sanctioned price-gouging attached to the game. A: Fat chance.

What's your favorite Buck-ism?

Watch the raw footage, Phil. Sherman goes up to Crabtree and says "good game" and gets smooshed in the face. That got him riled up. I agree he should have been more in control but let's have perspective. Crabtree walked off without shaking ANYONE'S hand. And Erin Andrews knew Sherman was mad because she was the SECOND interview, not the first.

sherman was angry at the QB for throwing to a receiver covered by HIM in such an important moment. And to make the insult even worse, that receiver was MEDIOCRE. That's why he was angry. And, Phil, it was just seconds after the game, of that play, that some journalist put the mike in front of him. Truthfully, any player who has ever won anything understands Sherman.

Five separate fist fights between white men begin right after the opening face-off between the Canucks and Flames the other night and Mushnick says nothing. But a black man mouths off after a game in Seattle and Mushnick is full of disgust and anger. I call you out as a racist, man. Imagine what you would have written if five black 49ers and five black Seahawks had fought with their fists at the beginning of the game Sunday.

I'd love to talk to someone involved with sports broadcasting, specifically the pre-production meeting with the announcers. I'd like to know if there is a concerted and sustained rule about using terms like walk-off, the edge, in space, lane integrity, etc. I know terms and slang evolves over time but I'm wondering if its forbidden to say the OLman "filled the gap" instead of "maintained lane integrity". Just wondering.

Let's see...we've established on another thread that lil sherm can safely be described as a "punk"...racially neutral and applies to too many of todays sportscasters and players...GREAT point by Mr. Mushnick when he states that calling Crabtree "mediocre" proves lil sherm less than impressive...after all, how hard must it be to cover a "mediocre" receiver???...however, biggest and best news - ever - the grand hyperbolic carney shill mushberg heading to pasture -AMEN!!....I wish no ill will here, but how much more money does this person need?...it's all about his ego and that's all that shines through ALL of his game calls...you'd think that by age 75 he might have figured out we want to see/hear the game, not mushbergs overblown rhetoric...win-win, hopefully...he'l enjoy retirement and we can enjoy him not ruining yet another major sporting event!...

The chances of a white player ranting like Sherman are remote and bordering on non-existent.Whites are a distinct minority-espwecially at defensive back. I believe Jason Seahorn was the last Caucasian defensive back.

Phil....Answer to your "Pop Quiz".....Barry Sanders...Had Erin Andrews any journalistic talent whatsoever, she would have asked Sherman that exact thing...She was clearly flustered as it was, it would have been priceless if she turned and asked him if Crabtree was so mediocre, why was he screaming ?

While I'm not apologizing for Sherman, how about the networks stop with these idiotic bimbo sideline reporters hounding these players 7 seconds after they make perhaps the biggest plays of their careers?.... Erin Andrews , Pam Oliver, all useless

While I'm not apologizing for Sherman, how about the networks stop with these idiotic bimbo sideline reporters hounding these players 7 seconds after they make perhaps the biggest plays of their careers?.... Erin Andrews , Pam Oliver, all useless

Richard Sherman is a man who will taunt opponents after he has beaten them and the game is over. This was no mistake he can apologize for- he has done it before many times. He shows no respect for the game . These are ugly, selfish acts. I know lots of jerks who went to Stanford- he may be educated but he shows no class, grace or dignity. You are probably right- Richard Sherman is the NFL's Kim Kardashian and Real Housewife- Maximize your screen time through ugly behavior.

My two cents: If Joe Buck is the best Fox can do, well that's pretty bad. I only wish he would have left with McCarver. Once again it why we tape delay for 45 minutes to an hour in order to miss as much of the commentary as possible. Not sure what's worse, listening to Aikman / Buck or Howie / Terry.

My other comment and Phil's story doesn't say much is the entire trash talk going on in the NFL is getting boring. Yes, to some we are racist but if that's what you want to watch, well take a trip to your local inner city. Shut up and play the game. I can assure you more people will turn off the interviews with these thugs then watch. Yes, say your tweets and posts, I must be racist!

I'm a bit of a geezer myself, but why does every Mushnick story sound like the rantings of a bitter, old codger who feels entitled to more in his professional life. I'm sure if ESPN offered him a spot on their team, he would drop his pencil and make a "grab" to joing.

Right on target...I hope he gets burned for the game-winning touchdown by ANY Broncos receiver who afterwards gets his 15 minutes of fame saying what a panty-waste, over-priced THUG Sherman is. Please...oh, please let this happen...

I have noticed something about the post.Why are the comment sections open whenever there is a story about a black person committing a crime or doing something asinine? The comment section is never open on articles about Caucasian criminals or butt-holes.

Phil, are you paying ANY attention at all. The headphone commercial you say Sherman got because of the Crabtree stuff? It ran DURING THE GAME. Dude, it was filmed way before the incident you have your shorts in a bunch over.

Try and keep up, Phil.

If you did, you might even see Crabtree started the on-field gameday trouble by returning Sherman's "Good Game" handshake efforts with a shove in the facemask.

I can understand Phil's bewilderment of an outdoor hockey game being played in sunny LA, but bewilderment of the SB being played in New Jersey? Nurse! Can you tell me where the greatest game ever played was contested(Hint:Couple miles East of Jersey) and what the conditions were? Nurse!!!!

AMEN! As much as Mushnick scours & combs television programs for things he can critique you would think he'd be aware of the dysfunction, poor class, poor sportsmanship exhibited at the hockey game but for some strange reason he missed an opportunity to wax poetic about the fight & then the straight up mafioso behavior of Canucks' coach John Tortorella who wanted to jump Calgary coach Bob Hartley between periods. Straight up racist!!

@ChasMon A fight broke out at a hockey game? OMG!!!! stop the presses!!!! Every major network has been hyping Sherman's post game tirade and the hockey fights got little or no attention. I don't think Phil's choice of stories to cover is any different then every other media outlet. I guess they're all racist.

@ChasMon ... really, you have to distort things so much in your feeble attempt to cry "racist" that you're putting the NHL and NFL in the same category?...On a much smaller scale, the NFL plays by similar rules regarding kickers...the don't usually get laid out during a game because if one is targeted, then so too is the guy on my team...unwritten rule...baseball, in the NL, at least, pitchers who bat don't hit guys nearly as much as the AL (DH) does...the gutless wonder - roger clemons comes to mind...look at his AL hb's compared to his time in the NL...c'mon man - comparing NHL to NFL - that's pretty weak sauce, my friend!...you may "call out" Phil as a racist, Chas, but I'll call you out as a dishonest/ignorant race-baiter...ya know, people like you who race bait do nobody any favors...see the "sheep who cried wolf", or "chicken little" with the falling sky...

@holysmoke People for get that before Mike Francesa joined Wfan, he worked with Musburger at CBS doing the NFL Today. The two were joined at the hip and Francesa was his protégé. Mikey lopped it up like a puppy and it laid the groundwork for the arrogant SOB he is today...Francesa learned from the best...

@Centeroftheknownuniverse sorta makes you wonder if the whole nonsensical situation wasn't contrived by both lil sherm and the tv folks...after all, the headset sompany is paying to expose their product...had lil sherm not given the bombastic interview, i doubt anyone on the East coast would know who he was...i'm still wondering why lil sherm was interviewed and not the dude who hustled his butt off to get in position to make the interception, thus securing the seahawk win...since lil sherm wasn't good enough to catch the pass, had it not been intercepted, niners might have had 1, or 2 more shots to win the game...

I didn't like how he behaved at all + I hope Peyton schools him next week but there was nothing thuggish about it.

I (and pretty much everyone else) equates thugs with violent behavior. I've noticed people (many on this very website) are quick to call a black guy a thug. If a white player had said the exact same thing Sherman did, people wouldn't be pleased but I don't think we'd see the word "thug" thrown around.

@Ludwig van Beethoven Sherman is a very smart kid, highly educated, graduated with honors. Just because he was amped up 30 seconds after a NFC Championship game in which he made the decisive play, doesnt mean he is a thug. Plus, he isnt overpaid- he is making the leaugue minimum I think, because he was a 5th round pick. Best player value in the NFL after another great kid and player- Russell Wilson.

@Mark Merkil do you think Sherman would have accepted a "good game" handshake from crabtree if crabtree caught the ball for the winning touchdown? Wrong time for a "good game" handshake as the game wasn't even over yet. how about a "good game" handshake for his teammate who caught the batted ball? It wasn't a good game handshake it was a classless attempt to show up an opponent

@Dire Wolf, If the concern is REALLY poor sportsmanship & other kinds of dysfunction related to sports then the equally dysfunctional behavior of accepting fighting in hockey would be thoroughly examined... I wonder why it isn't...

@Roy Munson "The Greatest Game Ever Played was Giants-Colts a couple days after Christmas in 1958ish. It gained that moniker and many attribute it to grabbing America's attention as a sport. I think the TV numbers were insane for that time and the Giants won in overtime.

@Roy Munson Ice Bowl was a different one, but still talked about as a testament to toughness. Point being, Football is a winter sport played outdoors. If that doesn't suit someone fine, watch golf, polo or baseball, but dont change football.